Jeff Zients to Become Biden’s Fourth White House Chief of Staff, Following Ron Klain’s Departure

President Joe Biden is set to appoint Jeff Zients, his former COVID-19 policy czar, as his next White House chief of staff, according to two people familiar with the matter. Zients will succeed Ron Klain, who is preparing to step down after more than two years in the role and decades of service to Mr. Biden as a Senate staffer, vice presidential chief of staff and most recently as his top West Wing aide.

The move comes as Biden is facing a critical moment in his presidency and his political future, with the early stages of a special counsel investigation into his handling of classified documents rattling Democrats and emboldening congressional Republicans, who now hold the House majority and have pledged their own probes.

Zients is expected to take the job shortly after the president’s State of the Union address on Feb. 7, the people familiar with the plans said. Chiefs of staff usually serve roughly two years on the job and Klain has spent much of the last several months managing the White House’s response to the coronavirus pandemic.

Zients, who ran President Biden’s Covid-19 response effort and served in high-ranking roles in the Obama administration, was chosen after an internal search. He is expected to bring a wealth of experience to the role, having served as the director of the National Economic Council, the acting director of the Office of Management and Budget, and the CEO of the Advisory Board Company.

The White House has yet to officially announce the appointment, but it is expected to be made soon. If confirmed, Zients will become the fourth chief of staff of the Biden administration.